1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a tire deflator and method of deflating a tire the purpose of which is to provide law enforcement and security personnel with a mechanism for disabling vehicles which fail to stop at check points. Disabling such vehicles precludes high-speed chases which are dangerous to both police officers and to the general public. The tire deflator can be used at permanent facilities, e.g. U.S. Customs inspection points, and at improvised check points such as police road blocks or other locations where access by non-authorized personnel can be selectively prohibited. Desired features of the present invention include the fact that the tire deflator is light in weight, is usable on an unmodified roadway, can be remotely deployable and retractable (in the permanent facilities application) and allows for rapid immobilization of an offending vehicle.
2. Discussion of the Background
Devices are known which can be utilized to immobilize automobiles under desired conditions. These devices, however, have drawbacks in that they are often very heavy and require modification of the roadway in use. Moreover, many of these devices are fixed in place and are neither remotely deployable or retractable, and thus do not allow for rapid immobilization of an offending vehicle when necessary. In addition, many known devices do not allow for rapid deflation of the tires of an offending vehicle such that the vehicle may proceed significant distances from the immobilization device before the tires of the vehicle are completely deflated.